You’re afraid you’ll screw up a tax rep case. Totally normal. In this episode, Eric Green breaks down what actually matters, what’s fixable, and why almost nothing in representation is fatal. If fear is holding you back, this one’s for you.
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Watch the episode here
Listen to the podcast here
Scared You’ll Screw Up?
The Low Risk Of “Screwing Up” In Tax Representation Work
I get it. You are afraid you are going to screw up. You are new to doing representation. A client is going to come in. They clearly are stressed out. They are counting on you, and you really just do not feel like you have your arms around it. I get it. I totally get it. We have all been there. In fact, there are cases that come in now where Amanda and I, or Jeff and I, or Amanda and Jeff look at each other. We are like, “I do not know.” It is just a train wreck and a dumpster fire. Let me just tell you something. I am going to go through this.
There are very few things you can really, truly screw up. When it comes to representation, let me explain. I am the purveyor of lessons learned the hard way. I have screwed up everything there is to screw up. I have missed deadlines to file in Tax Court. I have missed CDP deadlines. Here is what I am going to tell you. It is survivable.
There is very little in representation that cannot be undone. The one exception that I can think of is the two-year refund. Three years from the due date of the return or two years from the date of payment. That cannot be recovered from. If that deadline is missed, it is missed to bring a refund suit.
Other than that, everything else, I do not suggest missing them because some of these fixes are not guaranteed, but usually, you can fix them. Give me an example. Let us talk about the audit. What happens with an audit if you have never done this? The auditor makes their proposed changes. They will usually give you a 30-day letter. You can request a hearing for appeals.
There are cases where they will do just a notice of deficiency. The taxpayer has not responded. There are under fourteen months left on the three-year audit statute. If they were to send you the 30-day letter, there is a chance the statute would blow before appeals got to the case. In those cases, they just issued a notice of deficiency, 90 days to file in Tax Court. You have no idea the number of people who come to us where this has been missed.
Most Mistakes Are Fixable And Survivable
They bring us all the mail. Now they are in collection. They blew the 90 days. They cannot file a Tax Court. There is an audit reconsideration. There is a doubt as to the liability offer. The client can pay the balance if they can afford it and then file for a refund. There are ways to still challenge that. Let us talk about the collection. You get the final notice, 30 days to request the collection due process hearing, and it is missed. By the time the client comes to you, or I have had this happen, you lose it on your desk, and you blow that.
Now you do not have your CDP rights. You cannot get a collection due process hearing. What happens? Nothing. They are in the collection. You just started to deal with the collection division. Life goes on. You are going to have to be a little more aggressive in terms of getting everything to the government because they can levy the client. You can still work out a deal. All is not lost if you do not have your CDP hearing.
The truth of the matter is, if you are new to this, you want to get into this, and you are nervous, do not be. Do not get me wrong. It is good to have a little bit of nervous anxiety. Being worried can help you think more clearly. It can focus you. You do not want to get to the point where you go into vapor lock, where you cannot do anything, or you talk yourself out of doing this.
If you’re new and nervous, that’s okay—nervousness can sharpen your focus. Just don’t let it freeze you or talk you out of starting. Share on XThe first step of any journey is the first step. You just get started doing it. When you start to get cases, if you truly need help, that is what TaxRep Network is for. You join the network, and we will help you. We will help you through the case. When you are getting started, do not be panicked about it. If you understand the process, you get into this. If you need help, you go get help. That is what we are here for.
The reality is, yes, you can make mistakes. Almost none of them are fatal. On the preparation side, there are some mistakes where you and or your client could go to prison. That would be big. I am not talking about that. I am talking about those of you who want to help taxpayers resolve outstanding issues, non-filing issues.
Helping Clients And Creating A Win-Win Outcome
They want to bring a whistleblower case, and any penalty abatement. All of that, do not panic. You can do this. I promise you can do this. With that, do not be afraid, go diving into this. I am telling you right now, if you really want to build it, come to TaxRep. We would love to have you join the community. With this, you can do this. I promise you. From Eric Green to you, it is okay to be nervous. Do not talk yourself out of this. You can do it.
People think we’re in battle with the IRS. We’re really not. We represent our clients to ensure they get every opportunity, right, and benefit they’re entitled to. Share on XYou can make a lot of money, and you can help a lot of people. This business has always been a win-win. I make a very nice living. I am helping a lot of taxpayers. By the way, I am helping the IRS. We are part of the same system by getting clients into the system, cleaning up these debts, and everything else. People think we are at war with the IRS. We are really not.
We are representing our client to make sure they get every opportunity and all their rights and all the benefits, everything they are supposed to get. I do not really view myself as opposing the government with most of this. This is a matter where we are all trying to get to the same place, get a taxpayer in compliance, resolve their debt, and move on. Helps the government, helps all the other taxpayers who are paying their taxes timely like you and me, and it helps us too. We make a living doing it. Thanks for tuning in.
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